When I was driving home last Friday, my '93 Accord with 255,000 miles on it just stalled, and wouldn't start for more than a second, and then die again. After 3-4 attempts to get the car to run, the car wouldn't fire at all.

I checked the fuel pump, and it's working (I can hear it when tuning the ignition on, and I pulled the return line and gas pumps out when the ignition is turned on).

Then, I checked the spark, and it has spark.

I couldn't feel the injectors "fire" whine making a starting attempt, so I tried starting fluid- to no avail. :confuse:

I took it to a mechanic, and they said that they couldn't diagnose any further without replacing the distributor. There's no signal coming out of one of the sensors in the distributor apparently. They want $500 to do that, so I think I'm going to decline and try to do it myself. I did replace a distributor on my wife's Civic, and it wasn't hard. I also have a service manual, so I don't think it's going to be a problem.

Before I plunge down bucks on a new distributor, however, I'd like to hear if anyone has any other ideas that I should check first?

My '93 was on it's third distributor at 150k. If you can hear the fuel pump, that points away from fuel system stuff...the main relay that triggers the fuel pump is also prone to failure, but if you can hear it kicking in, that's not your problem.

I'm new to this site ,,, two hours ago . I was reading a current helpful posting about transmission module, for an older 90-93 accord.. , got distracted and now cant find it , it was 2 hours ago ... i've looked thru page after page...any way to find it based on two hours ago

I just bought a 1993 honda accord with 188,000 miles on in. When I test drove it and drove it home everything was fine. Now the car almost caught on fire!! Help!! I don't know what to do!! I got in it and the check engine light was on and it didn't have any power. I only drove it a couple blocks and I started smelling electrical burning. By the time I got home it was smoking ALOT and so I parked it. I looked around a bit after letting it cool down, and went to start it and now everything is fine. The car didn't come with an owners manual so I don't even know were to start. Can anyone help me??

It sounds like it starts, but when the letting go of the ignition key it stops.

That definitely sounds like an ignition switch problem. If you start the engine, but don't let the key go all the way back, it may stay running. If so, the ignition switch is bad. I think you can change only the electrical part of the switch, and not have another key to carry around. Good luck

My 93 Accord has a small transmission leak under the radiator. One mechanic said "Don't worry, just replace it when it gets low."

The other said, it's a slow leak but someday it may suddenly let go and there goes your transmission. But, it's cheap to fix."

I said OK, fix it. Suddenly the entire radiator had to be replaced as part of the solution. Something about the transmission line connects to the bottom of the radiator and that's where there is some corrosion on the transmission line.

The transmission cooler for the automatic is integrated into the radiator. The radiator is plastic with metal clips IIRC. The metal clips rust and bust the plastic connections when someone tries to remove them. All the radiator changes I've done have been with manuals, but even those hose clips can be challenging to get off without breaking 15 year old heat cycled weather beaten plastic.I would think a professional could get the trans coolant line off without busting the radiator, but I could also see that plastic connection as being the failure mode itself.

My Honda dealer says my 92 Accord (manual trans) w/181K miles needs the radiator replaced, and that this is not very difficult to do myself. I am looking for feedback for those who have tried, to confirm this.

Also, does anyone know of a link to step-by-step instructions with pictures? Thanks.

I don't know of an internet how-to, but you can buy one of those cheap ($15-$20) manuals from Autozone, and it will have the step by step with pictures. The main secret is to remove the radiator with the fans still attached, switch the fans to the new radiator, and replace as a unit. Not too difficult.

First, check the engine torque rod (fwd side of the engine compartment). Its purpose is to prevent the engine from rocking with torque changes. The spoked rubber inserts in the rod tend to deteriorate and break.

It's easy to remove and replace if you need one. Just use your jack and a block of wood under the oil pan to support the engine and remove the two bolts. A new one should only cost $15 - $30 aftermarket.

It's a pretty common problem with this car, usually caused by a faulty fast idle thermo valve. The FIT valve is the cylindrical shaped valve located on the forward side of the air intake plenum. To check, do the following:

Start the engine and remove the top cover plate on the valve (two phillips screws). Place your finger over the valve seat. When the engine is cold, you should feel air flow across your finger. When the engine is hot, you should not feel any air flow. If either of these is not as described, the FIT valve is faulty.

In the event you find that the FIT valve is the culprit, and you decide to replace it, try this before buying a new one:

With the cover off, inside the valve you'll see a white plastic retaining ring with two slots cut on opposite sides. Using a small screwdriver or other suitable tool in one of the slots, carefully try to spin the ring clockwise. If it is loose enough to turn easily, continue tightening in small increments until the idle quits surging. I had the same problem with my car a couple of years ago and this worked for me.

This past week I took my 92 LX into the dealer for what I thought was a clutch problem. It has 181K miles and I was told a while back that the clutch would soon need to be replaced. About a week ago it began to be difficult driving at low RPMs between 2 and 2.3K without the car shaking. It was more of a problem in the lower gears.

I might have made the mistake of telling the Honda service department that it was a clutch problem. They replaced the clutch master and slave cylinders and the clutch, but the problem came back after driving 5 miles after picking the car up. Now the problem is in every gear from second to fifth. When I drive at about 2K RPM and try to accelerate (even without flooring), the car starts to shake.

Could this problem be that the new clutch needs to be adjusted, or is it another problem? Could it be that it needs a simple tune up? I noticed when I got the invoice that "tune up kit" was listed in the long list of recommendations by the tech. I was never told this by the service rep. I just plunked $2300 on the table for the clutch, front engine seal leak (timing belt and water pump replacement while they're at it), and new battery cables. In addition, I am replacing the radiator myself today. Needless to say, I was less than happy :mad: when the car started shaking on the way home!!